+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

A Brooklyn laundromat has a vending machine that dispenses pregnancy tests and lube

Mar 19, 2016, 01:02 IST

Advertisement
Getty Images/Justin Sullivan

People who live near Brooklyn's Sunshine Laundromat and Pinball can now buy M&Ms and pregnancy tests from the same vending machine.

According to DNAinfo, the laundromat's vending machine now carries all the basics, including home pregnancy tests, Plan B, and personal lubricant.

Pregnancy test sells for $10, lube for $10, and the morning after pill for $35, DNAinfo reports. The items actually cost a little less than some drug stores, including Walgreens and CVS. Plan B One-Step, for example, usually retails for $40 to $50.

The laundromat's owner, Peter Rose, stocked the machine with pregnancy tests about a year ago, but put in Plan B this week, he said. "I was just bored one day perusing the aisles of CVS," Rose told DNAinfo. "I saw [the Plan B] and thought, 'That doesn't belong in a vending machine,' and so I bought some."

Advertisement

 It's not the first vending machine to feature family planning tools. Others people have noticed similar products in machines elsewhere:

Pregnancy tests sitting alongside Snicker bars may seem silly, but vending machines like this increase access these important over the counter products. Only two-thirds of US drug stores stock Plan B OTC, according to a 2015 study by the American Society for Emergency Contraception. And a mere 14% sell it directly on the shelf without a lock-box in aisles or behind the front counter.

Plus, slipping a few dollars into a vending machine for Plan B could feel a lot less intimidating than in front of a pharmacy cashier.

NOW WATCH: Here's why you should never put Q-Tips in your ears

Please enable Javascript to watch this video
You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article